JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at high risk of HIV infection. Accurate estimation of the population size and monitoring the risk sexual behavioral change of MSM is of great importance to develop targeted HIV prevention and interventions.

Objective:

To accurate estimation of the population size and monitoring the risk sexual behavioral change of MSM.

Methods:

Street interception investigation method were conducted among males aged 16 years and older in selected sites in Shenzhen in 2014 and 2019. Population survey was used to estimate the population size of MSM. Logistic regression analysis was applied to evaluate the difference of MSM’s behavioral characteristics in 2014 and 2019.

Results:

The results showed that the population size of MSM who are active (MSMa) in Shenzhen was 155469 (2.29%, 95%CI, 2.28-2.30%) in 2014 and 167337 (2.05%, 95%CI, 2.04-2.06%) in 2019. And it was estimated that there are about 12,005,445 (2.04%, 95%CI, 2.04-2.04%) MSMa in China in 2019. Comparing with 2014，the MSMa in 2019 were more likely to seek sexual partner through mobile phone apps; and were less likely to have both male and female sex partners, non-100% condom use, and have more than 6 sex partners in the previous 6 months.

Conclusions:

The population size of MSMa was about 12 million in China in 2019, and the proportion of MSMa among the general male population in 2019 was lower than that in 2014. The prevalence of HIV risk behaviors among MSMa was lower than that in 2014. The results suggested that although the preferred platform to find male sex partners among MSM has changed, the intervention on MSM of high risk may still help to reduce the risk behaviors among the whole MSM population.